Interactive Drones for High-Throughput Biodiversity Monitoring

Topic: Interactive Drones for High-Throughput Biodiversity Monitoring

When: 6 March, 13:15–14:15

Where: Blue Hall, Ekologihuset, Sölvegatan 37, Lund

Speaker: Stefano Mintchev, Assistant Professor of Environmental Robotics at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. 

Host: Daniele Certini, Postdoctoral fellow, Animal Flight Lab, Lund University

Spoken language: English

Abstract

Human activities are driving an unprecedented loss of biodiversity, threatening economies, public health, and the long-term sustainability of life on Earth. Efforts to address this crisis are constrained by critical gaps in biodiversity data at ecologically and politically relevant scales. Key challenges include (i) monitoring biases favoring certain taxa and accessible ecosystems and (ii) limited scalability due to labor-intensive data collection methods. In this talk, I will present how aerial robots that physically interact with the environment can automate eDNA sampling and deploy biodiversity sensors in forest canopies. By integrating these interactive drones with traditional remote sensing techniques, we enable high-throughput, scalable, and comprehensive biodiversity monitoring—unlocking new possibilities for global conservation efforts.

Short Bio: Stefano Mintchev is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Robotics at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. He completed his Ph.D. in Bioinspired Robotics at Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Italy, in 2014. As a postdoc at EPFL, he explored design and manufacturing principles of morpho-functional drones. In 2018, he co-founded Foldaway Haptics, serving as CTO until 2020, when he joined ETH Zurich. Stefano and his team work at the nexus of robotics and environmental science, studying scalable robotic methods for environmental monitoring. Their innovations aim to provide critical measurements and insights across spatial and temporal scales essential for protecting, managing, and restoring Earth's natural resources.